


Emma Swan - The Dark One

by TweetyBird18



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Season Finale
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-11
Updated: 2015-08-15
Packaged: 2018-03-30 01:12:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3917653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TweetyBird18/pseuds/TweetyBird18
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Continuing on from the finale, SPOILERS ALERT.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_'Emma Swan'_

 

Trembling fingers run lightly across the intricate letters that are engraved into the blade of the dagger, her body heaves and shakes in the aftermath of what has just taken place. She aches, her body runs rampant with pain that is reminiscent of those hellish and seemingly endless moments she had spent strapped down and tortured by Greg. The darkness had tried to take her, but Emma...

 

Somewhere behind her she hears Snow's sobs, hears David try his best to soothe her with a wavering voice. She couldn't care less about the pirate.

 

"Regina, darling..."

 

A hand gently comes to rest on her shoulder and she immediately shrugs it off. Eyes still focused on the dagger that she holds, fingers curled around it so tightly that the metal digs into the flesh of her palm, but she pays it no mind. It is nothing compared to the pain she feels within her very soul.

 

"Regina, we should go...I must retrieve Roland."

 

Her hand curls even tighter around the blade and she hisses, whirling to face the voice from her spot on the ground.

 

"Well you may go and retrieve him! Leave us, leave me..." She pays no attention to his reaction, returning to gazing at the dagger. _Leave me...She left...She left me..._

 

"Darling, you can't mean that. Here let me help..." He reaches down to help her up and without a second thought to her instincts her hand flies out, palm facing outward as she calls upon her magic to fling him backward and knock him off of his feet a fair distance away from her. A soft gasp punctures the endless sobs behind her but she pays it no mind as she pulls herself up to her feet, head held high as she glares the man down across from her. He had never truly seen the Evil Queen at her prime. But now he sees her at her worst, lost in her agony.

 

"I am not your _darling_.." She sneers, hand flourishing in a motion to call forth a fireball. She balances it in her palm and stares at it for a moment, barely noticing the smearing of crimson over her skin. A smirk forms on her lips and as the man attempts to speak to her again she growls, facing him once more as the fire she conjured glows more brightly. She thinks she can see fear in his eyes. Good. It's what she wants now.

 

"Enough, I don't want to hear you speak another word. I want you to leave." A soft murmur of her name from behind her makes her hand twitch, she ignores it. It doesn't matter. "Go fetch your son, go live your life with your fellow unwashed miscreants. Leave me be. All of you..." She's likely being unreasonably selfish; Snow and David have lost E-They've lost _her_ too. But she isn't thinking. The only thing running through her mind right now is the memory of a teary-eyed Saviour sacrificing herself to keep a promise she had made what seems like an eternity ago and it hurts. It hurts more than the physical pain wracking her body right now.

 

She turns to face the Charmings, sees that soul crushing agony in their eyes that she is sure is reflected in her own, and she sees Snow's recognition. Of her pain. Of her feelings. Of everything. And it's too much for her to bear.

  
"Regina..."

 

With another flourish of her hand she disappears, dagger still in hand as she finds herself within the secure confines of her vault. It's there, now that she is alone with her sorrow that she finally gives in to her pain, as her knees give way and she crumbles to the floor with loud and heart wrenching sobs. Tears run unending down her face as she wraps her arms around her midsection, uncaring of the cold and hard floor as she mourns for a stubborn, hard-headed idiot to whom she had unknowingly given her heart.

* * *

 

_Emma isn't dead..._

 

It's a while later, possibly minutes or even hours. She doesn't know. But what she does know is that logic is returning to her in small pieces. And that logic reminds her that Emma is not dead, she can't be. Her name is engraved clearly on the blade that she still clings to like some sort of life line. Her blood has dried, embedded into some of the delicate lettering and she tries to wipe it away with an even bloodier hand. It's useless. Just like her attempts to keep the Saviour from going dark had been. 

 

_But she isn't dead...She's The Dark One..._

 

"And The Dark One can be summoned..." The words come out in a shaky, cracked voice as she blinks, more tears rolling their way down delicate cheekbones. Her eyes throb, her whole body still twinges with the remnants of the Darkness' power but she slowly scrambles to her knees and raises the dagger. 

 

"Em-Dark One...I summon thee!" She calls out, trying her best to muster as much strength into her voice as she can as she stutters over the name. She can't bring herself to say it. Not now. The name brings forth such feelings within her, memories of golden hair and tentative smiles and goofy attempts at humour whilst sharing lunch together in her office. She cannot stand those feelings. But she also cannot stand what she feels now after what happened tonight. She needs her. She had told her that hadn't she? Before they went on that trip-road trip she had called it- to New York. To find Maleficent's child and to save Robin...She realises now after she had lay there on the ground thinking, that it wasn't real love that held drove her to save him, but the promise of a happy ending due to some fairy dust and a tattoo.

 

"Dark One!!" She calls again, gripping the handle of the dagger more firmly as she tries so hard not to break again. She hopes that her call will be answered. But she also doesn't. She doesn't know what she would say or do if _she_ appears, but she knows she has to try. For herself. For her friend. For the person who had stood by her for so long, and had done so much for her...

 

She loses her patience after moments left waiting in the silence, her free hand flicks outward and she sends some of her belongings crashing into the wall in her newly found anger. She yells wordlessly in her frustration as she does it again and again, the room falling to pieces around her as she unleashes her sorrow and pain.

 

"Please! Em..Emma!" She's sobbing again, begging in a manner that she has never allowed herself to do since she became the Evil Queen. Since she became strong. "Emma, please I need you!" Her magic is forgotten now as she picks up one of the empty bottles she has somehow not yet destroyed and launches it against the wall. Moments pass and she is still alone, her last fragments of strength fail and she collapses once again. Her knees meet shards of broken glass now instead of concrete floor but she does not care. Everything already hurts. Her body. Her soul. Her heart...

 

An idea comes to mind and she acts without thinking, embedding her free hand into her chest and swiftly yanking her heart out. The only sounds in the room are her broken breaths and the beating of her heart as she holds it in her hand in front of her. She balances it next to the dagger in her other hand and stares. Her heart is lighter than it once was, thanks to Henry. Thanks to Emma...Her hand squeezes instinctively and she gasps. It hurts. But maybe she deserves the pain. She ruins everything. So many people's lives...The Charming's, Emma's, even her own...

 

Her hand squeezes again, tighter this time and she groans, lower lip trembling for a moment before she bites down onto it. "Please..." It's a whisper now, she no longer knows what it is she's asking for, but she keeps squeezing...Hears a slight crack.

 

"Enough, Regina." The voice comes from the shadows behind her, and before she can even take a full breath she is there...Emma. She has a hand on Regina's, the one grasping her heart. "I'm here. Stop this now." Her voice is low, it would be almost soothing if it weren't for the fact that she is still squeezing at her own heart. But Regina does something she so rarely has had to do for such a long time. She obeys. Her grip loosens and she hands her heart over to Emma, sighing as she feels the other woman's fingertips brush against hers. She looks up into emerald eyes that used to hold so much light, but now...She gasps, her now free hand coming to rest on Emma's. The blonde woman's light, the happiness that used to sparkle in her eyes so often before they had let Cruella and the sea bitch into Storybrooke is now gone. Buried. She tries to speak, but the blonde moves then, motioning for her to lean back slightly so that she can return her heart. Regina shakes her head, tightens her grip on Emma's hand. 

 

"Keep it." It's a broken plea, she leans forward to rest her forehead against the other woman's and the corner of her lips twitch infinitesimally as green eyes widen in shock. 

 

"I can't, Regina...You need it. Don't you want your happiness? With Robin Hood?" Before Emma even finishes her sentence Regina is shaking her head again.

 

"I thought he was part of my happy ending...But..." She hesitates, knowing she will sound ungrateful for what she has to say now in the aftermath of the sacrifice Emma has just made for her. She closes her eyes and sighs, leaning more into Emma and her body relaxes ever so slightly as an arm wraps around her in a gentle embrace. It's not quite a hug, but Emma is holding her. _In more ways than one_ , she notes as the blonde still cradles her heart so carefully in her hand. She breathes deep before opening her eyes once more.

 

"I realised that I was wrong. That you...You and Henry are what I've been searching for all this time. My happy ending." Those soulful eyes fill with tears as Emma gasps, but she has to continue. She _needs_ to. "You keep my heart, Emma Swan, because it's yours. I think it has been for a long time." The last few words are whispers, and her body begins to shake in Emma's hold.

 

A moment passes and Emma still hasn't said anything, but her eyes travel from Regina's to her heart and back again so rapidly that it would almost be comical if it had been a different scenario that they were in. Regina waits. Her heartbeat beats at a faster pace in Emma's grip. But she can be patient for Emma, after everything the other woman has done for her it is the least that she can do.

 

"Holding someone's heart means you have total control over them, you can make them do your bidding without hesitation." Regina leans back to look at the blonde slowly, unsure of where she is going with this. "And you hold the dagger...My dagger. So you also have control over me as well. Tell me, Regina. Do you want to control me?" Emma stares at her, and Regina inhales and flinches as if she's been dealt an actual physical blow.

 

"Of course not! You're my...Emma. You're Emma; daughter to two of the most insufferable people I've ever known, equally as insufferable yourself at times but.." Emma visibly withers with her words. "But! You're the most loyal, kind and wonderful woman I've ever known. I would not ever want to control you" She finishes and lowers the dagger to the floor before releasing it gently. Her hand cramps after maintaining such an unyielding grip for so long, she flexes it and tries her best not to grimace. She isn't sure that she's successful if the sudden narrowing of Emma's eyes is anything to go by. "Emma..."

 

Her soft murmur is interrupted as the blonde leans in closely, so much so that she instantly remembers that day at the mine when they had been desperately trying to rescue Henry and Archie. So much has happened since then. They've been through so much together. Honestly she regrets all the wrongs she has done against Emma, but she couldn't ever regret this moment in the other woman's arms.

 

"And I don't want control over you, Regina." As she speaks the blonde slowly and carefully eases the heart back into Regina's chest, supporting her more firmly around her back as she does so before leaning back and removing her hand. "There's only one thing I want, one thing I've always wanted from the moment I met you. But I'm afraid to ask for it."

 

"Emma, please...What do you want?" Emma's words are barely out into the open air between them before Regina replies, and she knows that the old her would have laughed and mocked such behaviour. Seen it as weak and pathetic. But she is no longer that woman. And she is desperate to know what this selfless creature in front of her craves so that she can finally give something back in return for all that has been done for her. There is nothing but silence between them for a few moments before green harden with decisiveness and she readies herself. 

 

"You. I want you." The words are barely audible but she manages to hear them, and she feels so much at once that she is incapable of forming words. Her only response is to immediately press her lips to the blonde's, wrapping her arms around the other woman's neck as they embrace with a warmth and passion that they know deep within their souls can only mean one thing;

 

Love.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Warmth.

 

That's all she can feel now. Blissful warmth right to her very core.

 

Her body shakes for a different reason, lovingly cradled in a strong embrace that makes her feel safe, and cherish and all those good feelings that she never used to value in her reign as the Evil Queen.

 

The only sounds audible are their breathing that is closer to panting, and the wet pressing together of lips, over and over again. And she knows that no kiss has ever felt so right; Daniel's had been sweet, something to cherish and hold onto in the days of her youth when she was subjected to the tyranny of her mother. She'll remember how he made her feel for the rest of her life, him and their stolen kisses. Robin's had been...Well, in this moment she can't really remember. She's sure it had been adequate. Nice, even. A reassurance that she could have a chance at her happy ending. But it's nothing in comparison to this. Nothing at all when compared to Emma.

 

Emma's kiss is full of fire and passion. Her very soul is burned by it and she's sure that she will never be the same again after feeling these lips pressed against hers. It's passionate, but yet she soon realises that it feels as though Emma isn't fully here in this moment with her, and that is something that she just can't stand.

 

She presses her body tighter to the blonde's, sighing softly as she licks against the softness of Emma's lips, begging for entrance that is immediately granted and there's a groan. She's not sure who it came from, but she shivers in delight as her tongue presses to Emma's, wraps her arms tighter around the other woman and prays to any deity that would listen to make sure that this is real. That she didn't pass out after so long spent grieving, that she's not dreaming.

 

From the hand that swiftly reaches down to palm the fabric covering her ass, she assumes it's real. It definitely feels that way, and _oh god_ , it feels amazing. Her whole body lights up and she moans wantonly into Emma's mouth. But that seems to be a wake up call for the blonde as suddenly that hand is gone and those lips that could set her soul on fire are no longer pressed against hers. Emma's head drops to rest against her shoulder, and they're both definitely panting now. Once upon a time she would have been embarrassed at openly showing such emotion, but now her only concern is the woman in her arms and why she stopped something that was obviously enjoyable for the both of them.

 

"I can't, Regina. This...I'm not right for you. You're good now, you're a hero and I'm..." Her whole body heaves with a sigh as she glances down at her dagger before she pulls herself up from Regina's shoulder. "I'm sorry, I want you so badly but you deserve better..." She begins to remove herself from the dark haired woman's hold but she barely moves an inch before there's a hand gripping her jaw. Regina's eyes bore into those emerald orbs, pupils blown so wide that they're almost black. The blonde is trying to do what she considers is best for her, she knows that, but she cannot help the fury that rises up within her. Emma has never been like the rest, those who just want to take and take from her until she has nothing left. They are long past the times when they would push each other to the limit, resulting in a clash of venomous words or fists. But honestly, in this moment she feels like she could slap the blonde, she wishes she could slap some sense into her. But she refrains from doing so. She won't harm the blonde, hasn't been capable of doing so for a long time, even when she had lashed out at her with the return of Marian.

 

"Don't. You. _Dare._ " The words spit though gritted teeth, a snarl comes to her lips as the blonde tries to interrupt, but quickly changes her mind in the face of such controlled anger. "For almost my entire life, my choices have been taken away from me. I've been manipulated and controlled. By my mother, by the King, Rumplestiltskin...But no more." Her voice is steel, reminiscent of her old self as queen and she leans in close to Emma so that there is no way that her next words can be misunderstood. "I want you, I've waited long enough to have you, and now you say that you want me as well. There is nothing you can possibly say to dissuade me from choosing you, Miss Swan." She almost feels guilty for the slight wince she sees as a result of using that particular title, but there is no time for that now and the sharpness to her voice fades away as she continues. "I want you, Emma. My Emma...My Sheriff. _My_ Dark One. Please, don't deny me..." The last words are whispered against soft lips, tinted to a shade of red thanks to her lipstick. "Don't make us wait any longer, Emma."

 

There's a moment of hesitation, Emma is trying to decide what to do. Trying to decide whether she should give in to what they both want or whether she should walk away for what she considers is what's best for Regina. The raven haired woman waits, barely restraining herself from giving in to the urge to simply claim what she wants. That's not her any more. She won't take from Emma what she is not ready to give, regardless of the fact that what holds her back is ridiculous or not. Too many people have taken from Emma, and not given anything in return. She's just about to lean back, to put some space between them so that she can brace herself for Emma's rejection, when there's a sudden growl and once again she's on fire.

 

Her blood sings in her veins as Emma kisses her once more, and her lips curl into a smile for a brief moment before they part under the pressing of the blonde's insistent tongue. There is no hesitance to Emma's touch now as she is wrapped within her embrace once more, she pushes forward into the blonde, releasing her grip on the other woman's jaw without thought and clings to her, lest she change her mind once again. But it doesn't seem like Emma will stop now.

 

The kisses never cease, they only part when it becomes necessary to take a breath but as soon as they do they're together again, lips and tongues meeting with such pent up desire that she's sure she wouldn't notice if the room actually set ablaze around them. That hand returns to her ass again, squeezes and she cannot help the excited noise that bursts free from her lips. Emma's chuckle is muffled in their kiss, and she is unable to quell her old instinctive need to push back, to gain the upper hand.

 

She breaks free from those tantalizing lips, smirking briefly as Emma groans in disappointment. But the blonde's displeasure with her actions soon diminishes as she attacks a delicate neck with her lips. They both moan as she sinks her teeth into the soft flesh, though Emma's grows to a louder volume as Regina sucks, blood vessels popping beneath the skin as she marks what she considers _hers._ "Regina..." Her name is stuttered out in a whimper and she has never felt such pride in herself as she does in this moment, with this beguiling creature in her grasp. Her first reply is a pleased sigh as she licks against the bruised flesh, practically purring as Emma's body shudders in response.

 

"What is it, darling?" She croons from the crook of the blonde's neck, a hand wandering from it's place behind the other woman's neck to travel down along that ghastly sweater and underneath, finally taking it's hold on the bare skin at her waist. Her fingers rub gentle circles into the skin, and she finds herself struck with the fantasy of those fingers stroking elsewhere. Somewhere hot and deliciously wet...She feels her core clench at the thought.

 

"I want you..." The blonde manages to stutter out, her body trembling at the sensory overload.

 

A soft hum of approval vibrates against the blonde's neck as Regina finds a new place to mark, not even hesitating before doing so. She lets Emma wait for a moment, teasing her with the sharpness of her teeth before leaning back. She is tempted to play, to tease and taunt Emma with what she wants until she is driven mad with the desire that they have both denied for so long. But it can wait until next time. This first time should be special. Loving. Everything that her previous sexual encounters were not. "Then have me, Emma."

 

No sooner are the words out of her mouth are the roles reversed, it happens in the blink of an eye and she is not sure whether Emma has used magic to accomplish such a feat, but it doesn't matter. Now, her thoughts turn incoherent as her body burns even brighter with the feeling of teeth in her neck and suction on her skin. She lets out a practically indecent moan at both the sensation, and the realisation that Emma is marking her as well. The hand at her ass squeezes roughly, and her body jolts upwards with a guttural sound into Emma, uncaring of the slight tearing at her knees due to the glass that had managed to imbed itself there.

 

And then it's just the slightest hiss that escapes her mouth, a thoughtless reaction to the pain, but suddenly the pressure at her neck is gone and she once again finds herself staring into Emma's eyes. They're practically aflame with the lust shared between them, and she has no doubt that her eyes reflect that same desire. She opens her mouth to speak, to ask what has caused Emma to stop _again_ , but the blonde is no longer looking at her, she takes in the state of the room around them and then finally returns her gaze to Regina. She grimaces, but before she can even explain herself they are swallowed by white smoke, and they reappear in what she soon recognizes to be her own bedroom.

 

"You deserve better than being taken on some dusty floor, never mind one that's covered in glass and who knows what other crap you managed to break." The blonde answers the question in her head before she can even think to voice it. Her body fills with a different kind of warmth then. It's pure, not like the fiery lust she still feels coursing through her. Emma's putting her first again. She always puts her first. She treats her like she's the only thing that matters, and to say that...Though now she feels a sense of shame, seeing as what Emma had described is exactly what she had allowed to happen with Robin. Emma frowns slightly and she assumes that she's seen the emotion flit across her face, but says nothing. And then she's being lifted into a pair of deceptively muscular arms and carried to the bed. Her eyelashes flutter rapidly in response to the sudden brightness in the room as Emma flicks her hand and the light on the bedside table turns on. She's gently deposited onto soft sheets and this woman, the one who is supposed to be entity of pure evil now, she lowers herself to her knees and carefully slips her shoes from her feet.

 

"I saw you, when I disappeared..." A low murmur accompanies the movement of gentle, yet firm hands as they massage the bottoms of her feet. "You barely managed to reach the dagger before you collapsed, you looked devastated. I never would have expected that..." She cannot see Emma's face as she speaks, but she wishes she could. She wishes she could see her expression, so that maybe she could understand what she was feeling. But she says and does nothing, paralysed by the hypnotic lull of the blonde's voice and the delicate attention to her feet. "I knew my parents would be distraught, I expected that. And Hook..." She feels herself tense in response to Emma saying his name, will she want to return to him? Has she already been to see him? Is this just a temporary, one night sort of thing? So many questions run rampant in her head, it's almost enough to make her dizzy. But it doesn't show on the outside, and she's glad it doesn't because Emma chooses that moment to look up at her. She's smiling.

 

"I suppose it's awful, but I didn't see his reaction, I didn't care to. You were all I could see, Regina. Your sorrow, your pain...I fought with myself for what felt like forever when you broke down and called for me. I tried to put you first, thought that if I didn't show up you might eventually pull yourself together and go fix what happened with Robin...But you didn't. You hurt yourself, and I..." She watches as Emma swallows, her voice wavering as she speaks. She is captivated, stunned into silence as the other woman's eyes rove over her body before settling on her knees. Hands raise from her feet to her knees, bloody and punctured by glass. A swift hand gesture and a fleeting instance of pain later and Emma has healed her, and she smiles with pride at how far she has come. From a novice who could barely even start a flame to a sorceress even stronger than she is. But she still stays silent, watching as Emma rises to cover her body with her own. She gasps and lays back on the bed, her body instinctively rising to meet the blonde's as long fingers entangle themselves with her own and she feels the warmth of Emma's magic again as it heals the lacerations to her palms.

 

"Don't ever do that again, Regina. Or so help me I'll..." The sentence is left unfinished, silenced by her lips as she is overcome with emotion and need for this perfect woman on top of her. She conveys her gratitude in her kiss, along with so much more. They lose themselves in each other, and though the lust they feel for one another is still present this is more of a demonstration of need and love than anything else. It lasts for what seems like a blissful forever, but in reality is only a few minutes. They eventually break apart, and she presses a soft kiss to the blonde's forehead. There's so many things she wants to say, she can't quite sort them out in her head. So she just chooses the most important thing, the one thing that she _needs_ Emma to know.

 

"I love you, my Dark One."

 

Those expressive green eyes glitter with tears, and a mouth still smudged red from their kisses tilts into a smile that radiates happiness and Regina feels something click and mend inside of her that had been broken for such a long time before.

 

"I love you too, my Queen."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for such a great response, there's still at least one more chapter left. But I'm still working on that one. Hope you all enjoy and feel free to leave a comment, I'd love to hear what you all think!


	3. Chapter 3

"Regina."

 

She stirs, face crumpling slightly in response to the disturbance. She had been resting peacefully for the first time in what feels like an eternity, and now someone seeks to ruin that peace. A soft murmur slips from her lips as she shifts on the bed to lay on her side, trying in vain to block out the noise. The almost constant repetition of her name. After a moment it seems like she might achieve her goal of returning to blissful rest, her mind slipping back into peaceful blankness and allowing the disturbance to fade into the background. But a hand soon grips her shoulder, shakes her in a further attempt to wake her.

 

"Regina, darling..."

 

Her eyes snap open. That voice is not the one she had been expecting to hear when she opened her eyes. Though her sight is partially obscured by the heaviness of her eyelids and the light pouring in through the window, she is entirely certain of whom that voice belongs to and she stares at the somewhat blurred figure that crouches down by the side of her bed, their hand softly carding through the long, luxurious locks of her hair and sliding down along the cotton at her waist. A shudder runs through her, and she blinks rapidly to clear the sleep from her eyes.

 

The room comes into view after a few quick flutters of her lashes and she gasps, a tremor of terror and panic jolting through her. This is not her mansion in Storybrooke, not her bedroom, and not her bed. Not the simple, yet extremely comfortable bed that she had been curled up on with a certain blonde Saviour. No.

 

This is not right.

 

Her lower lip trembles ever so slightly as she takes in the lavish four-poster bed that she had woken up in, decorated with drapes and expensive fabrics. Her eyes drift to the rest of the room, desperately avoiding the person in front of her as though if she does not pay them any attention they will disappear. Her heart hammers in her chest and her breath stutters out at a faster pace as she realises that this room is her personal chambers, this room is in her old castle. In the Enchanted Forest.

 

"No, please no..." She whimpers, launching herself from the bed and with a miscalculation of distance that results in an uncharacteristic and graceless stumble, Regina crumbles to her knees in front of a full-length mirror on the other side of the cold, stone room.

 

Her hair is long. It reaches down past the fabric that encases her breasts and brushes along her ribcage. Her hand swiftly reaches up to grasp and tug at dark chocolate, a momentary show of her frustration as well as an attempt to ascertain as to whether or not this is reality. The soft strands slide like silk through her fingers and her breath hitches.

 

"Your Majesty, are you alright?"

 

That voice again. It calls out to her, unmoved from the spot by the bed and she shakes her head.

 

 _'No, no this can't be real...'_ It echoes through her mind, and tears well behind her eyelids as she screws them shut, attempting to block out the panic and the fear and that _damned_ voice as it calls to her once more. It's not the voice she had wanted to wake up to when she closed her eyes. She had wanted to open her eyes to the soothing tones of the love of her life, the one who had literally held her heart in the palm of her hands so delicately, the one who had always made her a priority, always put her first. Not the gruff and altogether irritating barking of the one who had never deserved a chance to have her love.

 

She is trapped; a prisoner to her terror, hands now rushing across her face and body as she desperately tries to understand what happened. What could have gone wrong. Moments before she had closed her eyes whilst cocooned in the loving embrace of the one person who had always managed to make her feel safe, and now...

 

She feels anything but safe. Quite the opposite.

 

She is so caught up in her horror that she does not hear the footsteps that approach, nor does she see the figure behind her creep closer, but a part of her does register the body that kneels down next to her and the hands that grasp at her, one at her shoulder, the other at her chin as she is guided gently to look into a pair of eyes that are so dull in comparison to the glittering emerald she has often admired.

 

A thumb now caresses the curve of her jaw and she shudders, repulsed. Though it is clearly mistaken for something else, as the lips of the one kneeling opposite her twitch upward slightly. She leans back and away from the touch she no longer desires, taking no notice of the frown on rugged features. That voice once again asks if she is well, and she holds back a scream.

 

Of course she is not well, she couldn't be anymore, not without _her._

 

"I will be fine as soon as you tell me where Emma is." She finally responds, a fleeting moment of strength coming to her as she somehow manages to make her voice firm and commanding, the same voice that would always send shivers down the spines of the weak in her glory days as the Evil Queen.

 

The frown deepens.

 

"Emma? Who do you mean?" He answers.

 

Her wrist twitches with the urge to summon forth a fireball at the tone of his voice. He speaks slowly, plainly as though he were speaking to an infant and not a Queen.

 

"Emma!" She exclaims. "The daughter of Snow White and her husband, Prince Charming! Where is she?" She demands, her heart beating at such a speed now that it might as well just be vibrating in her chest.

 

Recognition dawns on his face and she feels a flutter of relief, a brief glimpse of hope that all this is simply a moment of insanity seeing as her mind had been through such stress and turmoil in recent years. But that hope is destroyed, that relief fades into fear as he finally responds.

 

"Do you not remember? You had her killed for treason, my love. She made an attempt on your life...Regina, are you sure you are feeling well? You're behaving so strangely.."

 

Her eyes widen, glittering with moisture that she holds at bay as she vehemently shakes her head.

 

"You _lie!_ " She shrieks, glaring at him and wishing it would somehow instantly cause his death. He is taken aback, hands flying upward in a defensive gesture and he leans away.

 

"I would never lie to you, Regina! Do you not remember? You lit the pyre yourself.."

 

The tears that she had somehow manage to delay behind her eyelids before cascade down her cheeks in an instant as she chokes on a gasp, her hands flying upward to cover her mouth as her heart jerks within her chest, her soul is crushed and her mind shatters as she falls forward with a chorus of sobbing that soon progresses into dry heaving and retching.

 

"No, no, no.." The word falls endlessly from her lips as her body finally gives in, collapsing to the hard floor of her chambers and slowly curling inward as the litany of no's finally stops and she throws her head back and screams.

 

Emma...The love of her life...Gone. Dead. Killed. By her own hand...

 

That's it. Finally. After all the years of fighting, of abuse and pain and suffering, that one thought is what finally breaks her. She feels nothing, so lost in her agony. Her senses shut down, and she doesn't hear the shouting of her name. Nor does she recognise that the voice has changed, from grating bass to something softer, even with a panicked yelling of her name.

 

"Regina! Wake up! Please" This different voice begs, gentle but firm hands grasp at her shoulders and shake. She registers a body that drapes over hers as she weeps into the night air, but nothing else. The voice tries again, a desperate plea for her to wake up amongst low mutterings of 'fuck' and other swear words that she hardly pays attention to. Why should she? She's lost her. Lost her Emma. Again.

 

This carries on for what seems like forever, until that voice comes again.

 

"Why won't you wake up? Oh God, Regina please don't throw a fireball at me for this." It rushes out from between pale lips and suddenly she feels a hand swiftly impact across the now tear drenched flesh of her cheek. The blow comes again and her chest stutters as she coughs, choking on a deep inhale and her eyes fly open.

 

And she's there. A dim halo of light behind golden locks, the light on the bedside table having been left on from when they had finally curled up together and slipped into what was meant to be a peaceful slumber. Sparkling emeralds stare down at her in worry and evident panic, and her sobbing trails off to a pathetic mewling as her mind tries and fails to piece everything together.

 

"Hey..." The blonde says, and her chest stutters once more and again she is weeping as she swiftly reaches up to wrap her arms around bare shoulders, a brief recollection of Emma removing her sweater and laying back down in just a simple white tank top comes to the front of her mind after a moment of confusion. But she's here. She's really here and she's in her arms and she's never letting go ever again.

 

"Hey." She responds, her voice cracking and trembling as she clings to the other woman. She buries her face in the crook of her neck and inhales, her frazzled mind slowly settling as she takes in the comforting scent that she's very quickly beginning to associate with as HOME.

 

"You wouldn't wake up, you scared the shit out of me." The words are spoken into the crown of her head, dark locks fluttering with both breath and movement of lips and her own lips curve into a wobbly smile as she feels soft kisses pressed against that spot, a pair of hands having ceased their gentle shaking now caress the fabric covering her upper arms, and she finds herself lulled into the almost hypnotic feeling of serenity and peace that the soothing up and down motion provokes. She lets herself linger in that moment for a while, her body following suite and calming after a while.

 

And Emma lets her. She simply waits for Regina to regain some sense of reality, all the while providing her that steady comfort.

 

"I'm sorry. I had a nightmare." The sobbing has stopped now, her tight clutching embrace on the Saviour loosens but not by much, only enough for her to lean back and look at the blonde. There are tear tracks that glimmer against pale skin and she instantly feels guilty. Her face must display her sudden change in emotion as a blonde mane shakes back and forth, viridian orbs harden slightly as they gaze down at her.

 

"Don't apologise. You didn't make me cry on purpose. It only happened because I love you and I was worried." She is instantly reprimanded and her cheeks flush with slight colour in response. She allows one hand to loosen its' grip around pale flesh and reach up to wipe the evidence of those tears away with gentle brushes of fingers. The tear tracks are soon gone but she doesn't stop, her fingertips drifting along high cheekbones and down to the delicate curving jawline. Emma's body trembles so minutely in response that she swears her mind is playing tricks on her, but the dusting of blush along those cheekbones confirms it. She finally smiles properly, the pearls of her teeth shining in the dim light of the room and she hears Emma's breath catch.

 

Hears the whisper of 'God, you're beautiful.'

 

"Not as beautiful as you, darling." She murmurs, eyes parting from Emma's own to follow the path of her fingers as they dip into the sensitive flesh of the blonde's neck. She knows she owes Emma an explanation, but she has no idea where to begin. All she knows is that she has to try, because Emma would for her. Emma sacrificed herself so that she could be happy, and truthfully, in this moment she realises that Emma is her happiness. With Emma and Henry her life is perfect. So she knows that she can't shut herself off and deflect as she usually does when she feels such intense emotion. She takes a deep breath to compose herself, and then she describes her dream. Her nightmare.

 

* * *

 

 

"It sounds foolish I know, but I couldn't...You were dead, and the thought that I had been the one to end your life..." Her voice trails off at the end of the sentence, weakening as she fights off the urge to give into the phantom grief leftover from her nightmare. But comforting hands soon reach up to cradle her face and a swift kiss is pressed to her lips as if to banish that unhappy thought.

 

"It was a nightmare, Regina. Trust me when I say that I know how vivid they can be, how everything can feel so real and every moment of agony pierces through your heart as though they were bullets. But I'm here, aren't I? I'm with you." Another flutter of lips against her own. "You didn't kill me, and I will never leave your side." Another kiss, this one longer, deeper as the blonde washes away the lingering pain with each word and press of lips. They break apart after a moment and she feels herself finally relax in the blonde's embrace.

 

"You'd better not." The words are sharp, reminiscent of her Mayoral tone and before the blonde can even fire back with a witty retort she is leaning upward, stealing Emma's breath with a kiss that is so full of emotion and fervour that the Saviour forgets whatever she had been about to say. She kisses the blonde with as much passion as she can muster, trying to convey with her lips her gratitude, her love, and above all the fact that she too, will never leave Emma's side.

 

Soon enough the kiss escalates, hands begin to roam as what started out as a demonstration of love and comfort is morphed by lust and yearning for one another. Tongues press and twirl against each other and she soon finds it a challenge to breathe, her head dizzy with shortness of breath and the depth of her longing for the woman on top of her whose body now fully pins her own into the softness of the bed. But Emma somehow knows, and soon she finds herself gasping into the air as teeth and tongue dip into the now hypersensitive cradle of her neck. That tongue laves against the mark the blonde had left there earlier as a hand runs down her back and grasps at her ass, squeezing for a moment as its' twin quickly grips at Regina's thigh. The former Evil Queen feels her breath leave her on a moan that deepens as her leg is wrapped around a firm waist, and she feels a tentative thrust of hips against her own.

 

"Emma...Oh God, Emma don't stop." She begs, one hand tangling in golden waves as the other grips at the sheets beneath her. A low, rumbling growl echoes against her neck and lips now move at a pace just short of frantic, lowering down to the fabric that strains at her cleavage. She inhales, another swift intake of breath, as with sudden force the blonde somehow manages to rip away the button holding the top of her shirt together with just her teeth. She manages to glance down and whimpers at the sight of a now playful and blatantly turned on Emma, button still caught between her teeth and Regina cannot find it within herself to scold the blonde for ruining her shirt. Her words stolen from her as she feels a warmth in her belly and a clench between her thighs.

 

"Em.." Is all that manages to stumble out, and those eyes staring up at her darken, the air suddenly fills with the scent of magic and her chest is bare. Even her bra is gone. Her mouth opens and nothing comes out but panting breaths as she tries to catch up with the situation. The button has disappeared from between pale lips that now curve into a smirk, and while she's mostly aroused, part of her is proud.

 

Emma has definitely gotten better at using magic, and though she certainly may have seemed unphased by the curse of the Dark One so far, but there is definitely some mischief behind blown out green and she can't help the shiver that runs through her at the sight of it. A shiver that only intensifies as the head resting above her chest dips down and a hot tongue licks a slow trail along her cleavage. She feels a smirk press against her skin as all she can manage to say once again is a broken utterance of her lover's name. Kisses flutter against her chest and her heart beats faster as though to meet each one. She shifts, moving restlessly against the bed and brings her other leg up to entrap the blonde in between her thighs. She is rewarded for it almost instantaneously as those slim hips thrust against her once more, and do not stop. They press gently yet firmly, and with each thrust she feels her mind turn to mush. Her only thoughts the name of her blonde Saviour, and things like 'more' and 'yes' and 'good.'

 

"Regina..." A breathy whisper of her name caresses the rising curve of her breast and she whimpers, looking down once more and meeting eyes that have blown out to near obsidian. She finds herself entranced as slowly, so slowly, kisses travel along her breast and a pink tongue sneaks out to taste the aching bud of her nipple. Her reaction is almost comical, as her chest jolts upward, both in response to the sudden pleasure to sensitive flesh and to seek out further pleasure from the blonde's mouth and her hand tugs at the blonde's hair, so tightly wound in her grip.

 

She is not left wanting for even a moment.

 

A moan that she is sure doesn't belong to her escapes into the air between them as suddenly a deliciously hot mouth encases her nipple, and she is soon caught in the feel of lips and suction and teeth, as well as touch as the hand that had been gripping her thigh so tightly joins in the exploration of her breasts and soon caresses and flutters and pinches. She is lost. All she can do is moan and press her body into those touches in a plea for more. She wants to have this extraordinary woman make love to her, so that she can do the same.

 

The hand at her breast soon grows restless, and she is certain she will get her wish as it teasingly trails down along her abdomen and a fingertip brushes along the waistband of her pants. The button is swiftly opened, hips ceasing their maddening rhythm and she feels eyes on her as fingers play gently with the waistband of her panties. She meets that gaze, tries to convey without words what she wants, her mouth now fully bare of lipstick as she bites down on her lower lip. She nods, and the eyes gazing back at her narrow for a moment as though the blonde is trying to decide something, but it's only a moment's pause before those fingers slide under the lace of her panties and into wetness that has them both moaning out loud.

 

Though their moans don't drown out the sudden banging downstairs. Nor do they muffle the shouting, the calling of Regina's name.

 

"-Get out here, you bitch! I lost my true love because of you, get out here and face me!"

 

Everything stops.

 

Those dark orbs still stare up at her, but now they shift and change. The blackness that had only blown out to cover most of her irises expands outward, and now Regina can't see the white's of the blonde's eyes. She stares for a moment, and realises.

 

The Dark One is finally about to awaken.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long, I had my final exams and then graduated from university and moved back home, and it's taken a while to get back on track.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took a bit of inspiration from actual dialogue in this one, but not copied word for word. 
> 
> Thanks to sarcasticlittlemenace for the incentive to write and italymystery-swanqueen for the help in finding the scene I needed :) 
> 
> Hope you all enjoy. Feel free to follow me on tumblr, I'm radturtlewhispers :3

The sudden stillness of the blonde trapped between her thighs is unnerving.

 

For her lover to go from such fluid and passionate movements and caresses to being as motionless as a statue, staring up at her with blank eyes devoid of any light...A shiver runs through her, and not the same sort of quivering the blonde had wrought from her earlier. But the sort of shiver that wracks through a person when they come face to face with something dangerous. A predator. A chance at death.

 

It is most definitely unnerving.

 

And Regina does not know what to do.

 

She is torn. Torn between talking Emma down from whatever havoc she's about to unleash on the imbecile at her front door and pleading with her to ignore it, to carry on with what they were doing; or (and it may be a small amount of influence from her former possessive and evil persona) she could redress herself and go downstairs to give the intruder a piece of her mind, preferably before Emma lets loose on the man. 

 

The two fingers still sampling the wetness between her thighs are certainly not helping her decision making process. She finds it hard to focus, as although the Dark One is completely immobile, every now and again her fingers twitch. They brush against her clit once, twice, a third time. She bites down on her lower lip so hard that she tastes copper in her desperate attempt to contain an involuntary moan.

 

"I know you're in there, witch!"

 

Fingers twitch again and those two black voids remain fixed upon her own.

 

"Emma."

 

It comes out as a whisper, which morphs into a whimper as she feels a more deliberate movement within the confines of ruined lace and heat.

 

"Emma, please."

 

The blonde's gaze seems to swirl and flutter, and there is a very brief moment where she thinks the darkness might begin to recede so that she might at least see the whites of Emma's eyes once again.

 

"That's it! You coward! Can't come out and face what you've done? Well I'm through abiding by Emma's incessant need to constantly protect you, you'll face me whether you like it or not you whore!"

 

And well. That does it.

 

Those two soulless voids cease all movement and harden, the body between her thighs dissolves into black smoke and she is left alone. There is a loud bang from downstairs which she can only assume is the front door of the mansion being thrown open, but it is soon followed by a thud and a cry of pain.

 

She rises from the bed in an instant, a quick gesture of her hand returns the clothes to her body as they had been before and she follows the blonde's example, a small cloud of purple smoke left in her wake as she finds herself at the bottom of her staircase. She chokes back a gasp at what she sees; it's so familiar to that once in New York when Emma had pinned that 'dirt bag' as she'd later called him, to the wall in a brief bout of rage and frustration. Except now it's not just a matter of calming the blonde down and stopping her from punching some random civilian in the face.

 

Emma has her hand around the pirate's throat, dark and wispy tendrils curling around her fingertips as she exerts what appears to be a fairly painful amount of pressure, or so she can assume from the look on the Captain Guyliner's face.

 

"E-Emma." He barely manages to utter the word with her hand so tight around his windpipe, but it makes little difference. The woman offers a low growl and a tightening of her hand in response. His face begins to turn an odd shade of red as she does, and Regina knows that she should say something, anything to try and stop her. But she isn't sure of what she's dealing with right now; whether or not this is Emma or the Dark One.

 

"Emma isn't here right now, but I can take a message."

 

Well that answers her question, she supposes. But even if the blonde hadn't said such things outright she would have been able to pinpoint that it wasn't Emma who was in control right now. The blonde's voice has gone from a soothing bass to a sickeningly sweet and high pitched tone. It sends another shudder down her spine.

 

The pirate tries to speak again, his eyes locked on the blonde as he attempts to reach up and pry her hand away with his own, but she tuts and grips more tightly, pulling his body from the wall for a brief moment before swiftly slamming him back against it.

 

"Oh no, I wouldn't try to speak. Wouldn't want to waste the little oxygen you have left, dearie." She giggles. Regina can hear Rumplestiltskin in that giggle; can see memories of a time long ago when he was her mentor and her only chance of escape from her wretched, hopeless life. He was never the tame sort, he always seemed like he could strike at any moment, tightly coiled like a snake even when he seemed relaxed. So she knows that this could go very, very wrong in the blink of an eye.

 

"Do you know how powerful words can be, pirate? They can cause the most wonderful feelings; love, joy, all those fuzzy things that make you warm inside." She can see those lips slip up into a feral grin as the blonde's free hand raises up to take the pirate's into her grasp. His eyes follow the movement, even as he chokes for breath.

 

"However." The tone of her voice changes, hardens, and the smile disappears. "They can also cause such frightfully negative feelings, that you might wish you'd never uttered a word in the first place." He gasps as her grip tightens. "Take tonight as an example. You came here, to the Queen's home, slandered her, threatened her and accused her of an act she didn't commit. You say she is the reason for your loss of your true love, but you are incorrect. I am the reason. Emma was never your true love, pirate. That whore, Milah was. I killed her. In my former host's body." Another giggle as she leans in to his personal space, lips quirking as she reads the fear in his eyes.

 

He's gone purple now, his eyes start to mist over. The blonde notices and seems to fight with herself for a second before lessening the pressure around his throat, though she doesn't take her hand away. He heaves and gasps as his eyes flutter, desperately trying to breathe. Regina, to her own amazement, lets out a small sigh of relief. Though it's not because she wants the pirate to live, no. She just fears what killing him would do to Emma when she finally regains control. She knows she should be helping now, but now that Emm- no, The Dark One has started to speak, she feels that he needs to hear what she has to say. 

 

"But that's so far in the past, dearie. You don't long for my demise every waking moment now; your lust for revenge is diminished, spent. You have Emma now, or so you think. After an interminable amount of time spent hounding her, attempting to coerce her, until she finally gave in. Oh how romantic." Her last words are spoken in a playful manner, as one might speak to a child and she pouts before leaning in even further. "You think that's True Wuv? You sicken me, and _I'm_ the Dark One. Emma is no more your True Love than that lovely plant her majesty has over there in the corner." The brunette snorts a laugh, unable to stop herself. That sounds like exactly the sort of thing Emma would say. Maybe she isn't entirely gone in this moment afterall.

 

"You lie! Emma is mine! My love, my TRUE love. I'll show you!" He yells into the blonde's face, ripping his hand from her grasp and winding into blonde curls before yanking her to him, forcefully pressing his lips to hers.

 

It was most definitely the wrong thing to do.

 

Not because Regina immediately summons forth a fireball, but mainly because of Emma's reaction; the brunette's _'How dare you!'_ is swallowed as a sudden burst of dark magic fills the room in a shockwave that makes the floor beneath them tremble and the glass of the chandelier above them ring. A deep snarl vibrates in the blonde's chest as she rips her mouth from the pirate's and with a flick of the wrist his arms are pinned at his sides by dark, smoking shackles. She removes herself from his personal space and suddenly whips the back of her hand across his face.

 

There is silence once again, as the blonde stares at him. He tries to speak once more, but another gesture leaves his mouth covered by the same black smoke. Regina would laugh, if the situation wasn't precariously balanced on the metaphorical edge of a knife; she's always longed for someone to shut him up.

 

"How dare you."

 

The light tone from earlier is gone, this is neither that nor Emma's voice. It's deep and raspy, almost like a growl. The pirate's eyes widen in terror.

 

"You...You come here to cause harm to what is ours, you damage her property, and you assault me in a desperate attempt to prove an even more desperate desire. We are not your True Love, you cretin. I assume you thought to try and end the curse of the Dark One via True Love's kiss? A laughable idea. How could you, when our True Love is stood right there?" A hand lifts up to point at Regina and her breath catches in her chest. She had thought...But. Were they really? It made a poetic sort of sense when she thought about it. How the Saviour had been created to end the reign of the Evil Queen and bring back the happy endings to all. And she had. As far as Regina was concerned, the Evil Queen now only existed in nightmares, even her own. 

 

"You think Emma loves you, we know. She said it for shock value. To stun you so that she could do what needed to be done for the one she loves to be safe. But she doesn't love you. After tonight, in fact, we both despise you. Still don't believe me?" A brief cackle as she notes that the pirate has begun to shake his head in what she assumes is disbelief. The blonde leans close again so that he has no doubt of the truth of her next words, and the fireball that somehow hadn't been extinguished by the powerful pulse of magic earlier brightens, grows in size. 

 

"You think she loves you, but if she did do you really think that she would have been about to make love to that beautiful Queen over there? No?" A fair eyebrow lifts in response and she gives a small shake of her own head at his stupidity. She leans closer, close enough that it makes Regina's lip curl up into a snarl as she watches the scene unfold. She's not entirely comfortable with where the conversation is leading, but if it will get the message through to him that Emma does not belong to him...

 

"You imbecile. Your supposed True love was mere moments from sliding these two fingers inside somewhere so maddeningly hot and wet that it drove us both crazy with desire..." As the blonde speaks she brushes the aforementioned fingers against the underside of his jaw. "I was tempted to fight her for control, but I only deal in the base emotions, and our Queen deserves nothing but love and gentility, so it wasn't the time for me to take over and fuck her. Despite the fact that your dear Emma has often longed to do exactly that; she's thought of it quite often, actually. One of my favourite fantasies is when we're bending her over and taking her from behind. Whether with fingers, tongue or something else, it so makes me quiver with excitement and anticipation..." 

 

Despite the severity of the situation, the brunette feels her core clench and an all too familiar warmth ignite in her belly. The fireball in her palm flickers before fizzling out. She cannot help the pictures her mind supplies her with as she hears the words fall from the blonde's lips. She bites back a whimper as she imagines both scenarios; the gentle side of Emma taking her time, loving and worshiping her like she claimed Regina deserves, or the other side...Fucking her. Teeth sinking into soft flesh, demanding hands on her hips as the blonde takes what she wants from her, and lust. So much lust her head she'd be dizzy with it. She almost misses the blonde's next words.

 

"Regardless of whether or not she has the dagger, we obey her every whim because she is everything to us. And if she were to order it right now, we would end your life in a heartbeat. Although I am quite tempted to do it anyway, you've been nothing but a thorn in my side since our first encounter. But now, you realise that you have no way of 'fixing' this. Your last resort ended in disaster." A hand hovers over his ribcage now, right over his rapidly pulsating heart.

 

"You're toothless, dearie. So I get to give you the good news." His eyes fill with tears now as he recognises the words and he whimpers. Regina almost feels sorry for him. Almost. But if her lover is bragging like this then it must mean that she will spare his life. Or so she hopes. She wouldn't be able to stand it if she somehow lost Emma for allowing the pirate's death.

 

"Emma turned dark after all, and she finally got her happiness, which so happens to be my happiness as well, and you...You will never find yours. Not that it matters." The blonde says with a casual wave of her hand before her mouth forms that same feral grin from earlier. "Say hello to Milah for me, old friend." Her words taper off into a growl and she plunges her hand into his chest. His screams of agony are muffled by the dark magic that encases his mouth and tears finally fall down his face.

 

"Emma, no!" The brunette finally steps in, rushing over and gripping her forearm. "Emma it's not worth it!" Her words echo in the suddenly still room, and she realises that it's exactly what she'd said when they'd been in this situation last time. She slowly reaches up with a trembling hand, hoping that there is enough Emma within the Dark One right now that she won't be rejected.

 

Her fears are unnecessary it seems, though she manages to control a flinch as a hand gently takes hers and a thumb brushes against her wrist in a continuous caress. Those soulless voids are focused on her now, and had she never experienced darkness in any form she would most likely have let go and backed away, but instead she smiles and reaches out further to cup the side of the blonde's face. A movement that is immediately reciprocated and leaned into, whether it's a conscious decision or not. 

 

"Emma, Dark One, whoever you are right now, please don't do this. He's a moron, a misguided fool and he is nothing to us." She keeps her eyes locked on Emma's as she speaks, ignoring the pirate's desperate panting and pinched up facial features. It can't be too comfortable to have a hand stuck in your chest, she supposes.

 

"He's nothing, my love. But you, you are everything and you don't need to do this."

 

"He meant to cause you harm, said those disgusting things..." It's Emma's voice now, and those endless pools staring back at her start to shift as they had done earlier.

 

"It doesn't matter, you've done more than enough to defend me and my honour. You're my knight in shining armour, you always have been. Whether I gave you credit for it or not, you've always had my back. But now I need you to let this go, darling. He's not worth it. I need you and if you do this it will make everything so much worse. So I'm begging you, both of you, to let him go and forget about this. I need you back in my arms again."

 

Stillness and relative silence once again, it seems to last forever but Regina keeps her eyes on those shifting voids and watches with a growing smile as the white returns and she can see vivid and soulful emerald once again. She doesn't move, allows Emma to take this at her pace. But cannot help the way her entire body relaxes and trembles with a sigh of relief as Emma suddenly yanks her hand free from the pirate's chest, no heart included. Moments later the bindings confining the man are gone as well and Regina quickly moves the blonde away from him, shifting so that she stands between them. He takes a shaky step forward, body trembling as he struggles for words. 

 

"I love you, Emma." A broken whisper. A plea. A need for the woman he cared for to tell him it was all wrong. But she shows no reaction, completely stoic as she regards him with barely concealed anger and disgust. 

 

"I'm sorry, Killian."

 

His face crumples, head bows in defeat and he sobs. The brunette supposes she should feel sorry for him now; he is more pathetic now than she could ever have imagined. But he still did something unforgivable, still took something from her love without her consent. She wishes there would be no consequences for killing him because she would gladly end his life right now and put him out of his misery. 

 

"I'm going to send you away now, Killian, and you'd better not come back here ever again. If you do, I won't need the Dark One to take over, and not even Regina will stop me from ending you. I love her, I have for a long time. And I will never love you. Goodbye, Killian." Regina reaches behind her, a hand resting atop the blonde's in a display of support and love. They cannot see any reactions to the threat or the apology, and before he even has a chance to raise his head the blonde gives a final twist of her wrist and he disappears in a dull grey mist. 

 

All is quiet as they both stand there and let what just happened sink in, it lasts for what seems like forever but soon the brunette turns and takes the blonde into her arms without hesitation. She holds her in a tight embrace, tilting her head back only far enough to press kisses against her lover's face. Emma soon laughs and relaxes into the affection before reciprocating, her own arms around the Queen as she catches those luscious lips in a kiss of her own. It's a kiss of love, of comfort and relief.

 

They break apart after a while, but do not step away from each other. Instead they stay together, exchanging soft kisses and fleeting caresses for a while before simply resting their heads together, staring into one anothers eyes.

 

"You worried me." The brunette whispers, thumb tracing circles on the fabric at the blonde's waist.

 

"I'm sorry, your Majesty. However can I make it up to you?" The blonde teases, and with that easy exchange they both know that everything will be okay.

 

"Well, ser Knight, you can start by fixing my front door, and then..." She leans forward to whisper in the blonde's ear. "Then you can take me upstairs and finish what you started."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo yeah...Feel free to leave a comment, I love reading what you think! :3

**Author's Note:**

> So I hope you liked it, I may or may not continue. I'm not sure, the finale did a number on me.


End file.
